Study Guide

Field 150: Elementary Education Subtest 1 
Sample Selected-Response Questions

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General Test Directions

This test consists of two sections: 1) a section with selected-response questions and 2) a constructed-response section.

Each question in the first section is a selected-response question with four answer choices. Read each question and answer choice carefully and choose the  start uppercase ONE end uppercase  best answer.

Try to answer all questions. Even if you are unsure of an answer, it is better to guess than not to answer a question at all. You will  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  be penalized for guessing.

The second section of this test consists of one constructed-response assignment. You will be asked to provide a written response to the assignment. Directions for completing your written response to the constructed-response assignment appear immediately before the assignment.

You may  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  use any type of calculator or reference materials during the test session.

Sample Selected-Response Questions—Subtest 1

Competency 0001 
Apply knowledge of the foundations of literacy development in English as well as research-based, systematic instruction and assessment of phonological and phonemic awareness.

1. A first-grade teacher gives a spelling inventory to students. Shown below is a record of one student's responses.

Dictated Word Student's Spelling
flat fet
jump jup
brushing bushing
steep steep
shelf shel

Given the student's pattern of errors, which of the following skills should the teacher address first?

  1. multisyllabic words
  2. initial consonant sounds
  3. consonant blends
  4. medial vowel sounds

Correct Response: C. The student's pattern of errors is predominately with consonant blends. For example, the student spelled flat as fet, misspelling the consonant blend fl, and brushing as bushing, misspelling the consonant blend br.

Competency 0002 
Apply knowledge of the beginning stages of literacy development as well as research-based, systematic instruction and assessment in the areas of alphabetic principle, phonics, spelling, and regularly and irregularly spelled words to promote word recognition.

2. A first-grade teacher uses magnetic letters to show the class how to change the word met into mess and men. Then the teacher shows the class how to change the word tilt into tin and tick. This activity is likely to promote students' understanding of which of the following concepts?

  1. modifying the final sound in a CVC word to make a new CVC or CVCC word
  2. changing a word with a closed-syllable pattern into a new word with a consonant blend
  3. distinguishing between similar sounds in a word to convert a CVC word into a CVCe or CVVC word
  4. manipulating the consonants in a word to create a new word with a digraph

Correct Response: A. The teacher builds CVC (met, men, tin) and CVCC (mess, tilt, tick) words using magnetic letters. By changing the ending letter(s), the teacher is explicitly modeling how to manipulate ending sounds to create new CVC and CVCC words.

Competency 0003 
Apply knowledge of the later stages of literacy development as well as research-based, systematic instruction and assessment in the areas of advanced phonics, spelling, and regularly and irregularly spelled words to promote word recognition.

3. A fourth-grade teacher would like to provide explicit instruction in decoding and spelling to enhance students' word recognition. Which of the following techniques would be most effective to use for this purpose?

  1. including below-grade-level, at-grade-level, and above-grade-level irregularly spelled word lists in the classroom library for students to independently read
  2. creating a word center with manipulatives and word lists where students can practice dividing two syllable words at the words' syllable breaks
  3. working with small groups of students to use picture word cards to segment and blend sounds in words to correctly pronounce the words
  4. teaching students how to use word puzzles with affixes, base words, and roots and to put the pieces together to build and read complex words

Correct Response: D. Explicitly teaching students structural analysis skills like how to recognize, understand, and apply affixes, base words, and roots through hands-on manipulation of complex words effectively promotes the development of their decoding and spelling skills.

Competency 0003 
Apply knowledge of the later stages of literacy development as well as research-based, systematic instruction and assessment in the areas of advanced phonics, spelling, and regularly and irregularly spelled words to promote word recognition.

4. A student is having difficulty decoding multisyllabic words when reading. Which of the following activities would best support the student in this area?

  1. sounding out the words letter by letter
  2. looking for known parts within the words
  3. writing the words down to practice and study
  4. using an Elkonin box to isolate each sound in the words

Correct Response: B. When a word contains multiple syllables, like the word watermelon, it is called a multisyllabic word. Engaging students in an activity where they identify smaller known parts or syllables within a multisyllabic word supports their decoding skills because they learn how to turn a large unfamiliar word into smaller recognizable parts.

Competency 0005 
Apply knowledge of vocabulary development and assessment.

5. A third-grade teacher is planning to work with a group of students to read a text that contains several unfamiliar vocabulary words. In order to best support the students' ability to learn the new vocabulary words, the teacher should:

  1. activate students' background knowledge on the topic and introduce the words using pictures before reading the text.
  2. tell the students the new words and explain the definitions to them before reading the text.
  3. stop reading at each new word and give students the word's definition while reading the text.
  4. go back through the text and discuss with the students the meanings of the words after reading the text.

Correct Response: A. Research has repeatedly shown that activating and building on background knowledge improves a student's ability to make sense of, and retain, new information because they are able to connect it to prior personal experiences. Activating background knowledge before reading, while also utilizing pictures, promotes the students' ability to make meaning of the new vocabulary words.

Competency 0006 
Apply knowledge of the development and assessment of reading comprehension and supporting strategies for multiple formats.

6. During an informal reading assessment, a teacher notes that a second-grade student can answer questions that involve using text details to determine what has not been explicitly stated in a text. These assessment results provide evidence that the student has developed the skill of using information from a text to:

  1. identify theme.
  2. formulate predictions.
  3. distinguish fact from opinion.
  4. make inferences.

Correct Response: D. Inferring is a reading comprehension skill that requires the reader to pay close attention to implied information within a text, relying on their own reasoning to determine an outcome. When a student makes inferences, they are utilizing the text to draw conclusions about things that are not explicitly stated.

Competency 0007 
Understand the importance of literary analysis, the use of culturally relevant texts in classroom instruction, and the assessment of literature comprehension.

7. A fifth-grade teacher would like to informally assess students' comprehension of the key elements in literary texts. The teacher can best accomplish this goal by giving students which of the following assessments?

  1. a multiple-choice questionnaire about an author's point of view, opinion, and supporting evidence in a text
  2. a multimedia project depicting the sequence of events in a text's storyline
  3. a written summarization assignment to identify a text's characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution
  4. a list of figurative language terms to locate examples of in various texts

Correct Response: C. Key elements of a literary text include the characters, setting, plot, theme, conflict, and resolution. Summarizing the text while identifying the characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution is an effective way to informally assess students' comprehension of key elements.

Competency 0009 
Apply knowledge of the foundations of writing development and the elements of the writing process.

8. After modeling how and when to properly use a self-editing checklist, a teacher asks students to apply this practice to their recently written short stories. This approach will most likely promote the students' ability to:

  1. engage in meaningful discourse about their writing.
  2. accurately identify writing conventions.
  3. complete the publication of their writing.
  4. develop reflective writing habits.

Correct Response: D. A self-editing checklist provides students with an opportunity to independently identify and apply specific editing criteria to their writing. The use of explicit modeling followed by independent practice fosters the students' ability to develop reflective writing habits.

Competency 0010 
Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for producing writing that is developed, organized, and appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience.

9. Which of the following approaches would best promote students' ability to find evidence that supports their written claim?

  1. visiting reliable online resources to locate relevant information
  2. creating a graphic organizer outlining points and counter points
  3. learning how to determine whether a resource is accurate or not
  4. completing a Venn diagram that compares two different sources

Correct Response: A. Identifying authentic and valid evidence to support a written claim is critical in the development of a strong written argument. Actively searching for suitable information on accurate and up-to-date online resources promotes students' ability to locate details supporting their written claim.

Competency 0011 
Apply knowledge of the fundamental elements of research.

10. Read the student work sample below; then answer the question that follows.

My mom said that my grandma was an immigrant. Many people are immigrants. "An immigrant is one who comes into a country, generally with the intention of settling there" (Henry 15). My grandma settled here, too. She was an incredible person.

Based on the student's work sample, which of the following instructional strategies would best support their ability to effectively use quotations?

  1. selecting quotations that support the main idea
  2. writing sentences or phrases that introduce quotations
  3. applying the correct conventions when using quotations
  4. providing the reader with a brief explanation of each quotation

Correct Response: B. In the student work sample, a direct quotation is inserted into the paragraph without an introductory sentence or phrase, causing a disconnect between the main idea of the paragraph and the significance of the quotation. Teaching the student how to introduce quotations using introductory sentences or phrases promotes the student's ability to compose an effective paragraph with meaningful quotations and proper transitions.